Jonathan Bilyk News
Rampant PAGA, Prop 65 lawsuits land California courts high on list of worst U.S. 'Judicial Hellholes'
The report issued by the American Tort Reform Association says California ranks third on the annual list, thanks to its continued status as lawyers' 'laboratory' for innovative ways to increase businesses' lawsuit risk
Disney sued over alleged slippery conditions at resort pool area at Aulani Resort in Hawaii
The class action lawsuit accuses Walt Disney Company of failing to warn hotel guests about allegedly dangerous slippery conditions at the Aulani's pool area
Jury orders Bayer Monsanto to pay $332M in latest Roundup trial verdict
Bayer has pledged to appeal, and believes it can at least reduce what it called an 'unconstitutionally excessive verdict.'
California, 32 other states accuse Meta of 'exploiting, addicting,' kids, causing societal harms
The multistate lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court asserts the parent of Facebook and Instagram has misled parents and society at large about the alleged addictive and harmful properties of its social media products
Judge strikes down CA ban on 'assault weapons,' says state trampling 2nd Amendment, SCOTUS decisions
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said California cannot constitutionally use threat of possible mass shootings to justify criminalizing the ownership of certain firearms the state believes are "unusually dangerous"
Judge says Cargill Fresno workers shouldn't get class action over wages, meal breaks, other claims
A Fresno federal judge said meat processing workers haven't presented enough evidence to back their claims Cargill had 'uniform policies' shorting them pay by making them put on and take off PPE off the clock or when taking meal breaks, among other claims
CA 'Clean Fleet' rules challenged; Truckers say rules flout federal law, will 'wreak havoc' on economy
The California Truckers Association filed suit, seeking to block enforcement of the Advanced Clean Fleets rules they say conflict with federal law, violate the Constitution, and will hurt the economy
Appeals court says California 'large magazine' firearms ban OK to remain in effect
Dissenting judges said the decision defies last year's landmark Second Amendment decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as tramples court rules
Appeals panel: California prison officials can be sued for Covid outbreak at San Quentin
A federal appeals panel says California correctional officials can't use immunity doctrines to escape a lawsuit from the widow of an inmate who died at San Quentin Prison after a group of inmates were transferred there from another prison with an active Covid outbreak in May 2020
California quietly repeals Covid 'misinfo' law that targeted doctors' speech rights
The state of California has repealed AB2098, which would have forced doctors to provide patients only with state-approved information about Covid-19, or risk losing their medical license. The law had already lost in court, and the state faced "humiliation" before a federal appeals panel
Appeals court: More work to do before In-N-Out can top off settlement of mass actions over worker pants
A state appeals panel says a Sonoma County judge wrongly blocked lawyers for other plaintiffs from getting a seat at the table in court proceedings over a possible settlement to end PAGA actions over claims the fast food chain broke California labor law by not repaying workers for their required white work uniform pants.
Judge: 'Baffling' comparisons, lack of evidence doom suit vs Google over alleged YouTube discrimination
Black and Latino YouTubers claimed YouTube had discriminated vs non-white content creators by more harshly moderating their videos
Appeals court ends lawsuit over workplace Covid infections which threatened dangerous 'deluge' of future lawsuits
A federal appeals panel followed guidance provided by the California Supreme Court, which had ruled they couldn't allow a couple to sue a man's employer over his wife's Covid infection because the lawsuits that would follow would swamp the courts and endanger society
IBM, other employers must reimburse employees' Covid-related work-from-home expenses
A state appeals court has ruled a California state law requiring employers to pay their employees' work-related expenses wasn't negated by Gov. Newsom's 2020 Covid lockdown orders
'In a straitjacket:' Ninth Circuit ruling will leave cities powerless to confront homelessness, judges warn
The Ninth Circuit Appeals Court refused to reconsider its decision allowing a class action to continue vs Oregon city, seeking to bar enforcement of 'anti-camping' ordinances. Dissenters said the decision amounts to new constitutional right to camp anywhere
Employers can't be sued if their workers' spouses catch Covid: California Supreme Court
The state high court said allowing such lawsuits to move forward would open floodgates to potentially millions of lawsuits against every employer in the state, swamping courts and potentially crippling society in the process
Judge says California law requiring racial minority, LGBT representation on corporate boards is unconstitutional
The ruling could have implications for similar legislation or laws in other Democrat-dominated states, like Illinois, where lawmakers have considered following California's lead on increasing corporate board diversity by force of law
'California Knows Best:' SCOTUS says California can use Prop 12 to regulate pork producers across the country
Dissenting justices warned California should now expect other states to respond in kind, following California's "blueprint" to use state laws and market power to bypass Congress and bend the rest of the country to the will of voters in just one or a handful of states
Lawsuit: California 10-day gun purchase waiting period law violates Second Amendment
A lawsuit was filed May 1 against the state, asserting the state has no right under the Constitution to force Californians who pass background checks to wait 10 days to obtain firearms they need for "immediate self-defense"
Environmental activists sue, demand PG&E close Diablo Canyon nuke plant, despite state power supply problems
Nuclear reactors generate no "greenhouse gas emissions," yet Friends of the Earth says PG&E must shutter the plant under the terms of a deal reached in 2016, allegedly to promote public safety and combat climate change